1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus for outputting information, and a control method therefor. In particular, the present invention pertains to an information processing apparatus that is one of a plurality of apparatuses that communicate with each other, one apparatus outputting information in response to the receipt of an instruction from another apparatus, or requesting a required process from another apparatus, and a control method therefor.
2. Related Background Art
A conventional printing apparatus-can perform printing in consonance with an objective by altering the setups for various printing parameters, such as the paper size, the number of printed copies, the printing speed and the printing quality.
However, among the factors involved in the setting up of printing parameters, there are certain elements, such as urgency, economy and print quality, that in some cases may be in conflict, and as the number of parameters to be set is therefore increased, it is difficult for a user to set the appropriate parameters. Even when a user knows which parameter values are appropriate, for the user it is inconvenient to set the parameters one after another. And while a complex setup operation will not be required when default values are employed, it is not possible to establish optimal parameter values for individual documents.
A single printer on a network can be used in a plurality of users. In this case, a document submitted by one user is mixed with a document submitted by another user. Therefore, when, for example, two users submit a plurality of documents, the results obtained as the output must be sorted. When a document is left on an output tray, the contents of the document must be examined in order to determine who submitted the document.
An information processing apparatus, called a personal computer (hereinafter referred to as a PC), handles electronic data. Therefore, physical information, such as information written on paper or a printed document that exists in real space is converted into electronic information by an input device, such as a scanner or a digital camera, so that a PC can process the information. When a person is to process electronic information stored in a PC, the electronic information must be converted into physical information by an output device, such as a printer or a display.
Based on the fact that the output device is one of the peripheral devices attached to a PC, it can be controlled by the PC, not by another peripheral device. The information required for such control must be stored in the PC in an appropriate form.
A user is to perform the following operation on a PC and a printer to convert electronic information stored in a PC into printed physical information, as is shown in FIG. 159. In this case, the PC must hold, in the form of a printer driver, information concerning the operating procedures for the printer.
First, a user employs a printer driver held in the PC to send a printing instruction. Then, the PC sends a printing command to the printer. Upon the receipt of the printing command, the printer, unless it is busy, immediately initiates the printing of the instructed information. Following this, the user collects the printed document. The printing command includes the document data that is the printing target. The printing target must be described in a form that the printer can process.
A PC can be used as a server terminal, as is shown in FIG. 160. In this case, the PC receives from a server each select data that is to be displayed on a screen in accordance with the transmission protocol, such as X Window System, and displays the data as prescribed by the instructions.
Information read by a scanner can be transmitted to a printer for printing via a PC, as is shown in FIG. 161. Therefore, a scanner and a printer can together be employed as a pseudo copier. It should be noted, however, that a scanner driver and a printer driver must be installed in the PC in advance, and the joint employment of the two devices must be specified. If conversion of the image format of the scanner into a format that the printer can process is required, the PC must perform such format conversion before transmitting the data. Further, the format conversion must be performed, as needed, at the discretion of a user.
A printing command for a specific printer must be directly transmitted to that printer. In addition, printing target information must also be transmitted to the printer with the printing command from the PC. If the printing target information is to be transmitted-to a device other than a PC, or to a printer in some cases, first the PC must acquire the information by communicating with another device, and must then transmit the information to the printer.
The received printing target document is immediately printed if printing is enabled.
It is one objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can reduce the load placed on a user when performing an operation to implement the objective of processing, and a control method therefor.
It is another objective of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus that can perform printing by employing appropriate printing parameters consonant with the processing objective, without a complex operation being required, and a control method therefor.
It is an additional objective of the present invention to provide a printing apparatus that permits a plurality of users to efficiently employ a single printer, and a control method therefor.
It is a further objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can handle a command for another output device and can perform a pre-process for outputting data from the output device, and a control method therefor.
It is still another objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can suspend received data instead of processing them, and a control method therefor.
It is a still additional objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus wherein an output side can, as needed, from an apparatus or an external device, acquire and output information to be processed, and a control method therefor.
It is a still further objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can by itself employ an information resource belonging to an external device.
It is yet another objective of the present invention to provide an information processing apparatus that can employ a resource belonging to an external device to process information input by the apparatus.
According to one aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing apparatus comprising:
reception means for receiving information to be printed and a first printing parameter;
determination means for employing the information that is received to determine a second parameter suitable for the information;
setup means for setting up the first and the second parameters; and
printing means for printing the information based on the first and the second printing parameters set up by the setup means.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing apparatus comprising:
reception means for receiving information to be printed;
identification means for identifying a user for the information that is received;
printing means for printing the information;
printing results storage means having a plurality of storage locations; and
control means for storing, at a different location in the printing results storage means, printing results obtained by the printing means for each user who is identified by the identification means.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
communication means for communicating with an external device;
output means for outputting information; and
control means for requesting information from the external device, for receiving the information from the external device, and for permitting the output device to output the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
communication means for communicating with an external device;
input means for receiving information;
processing means for processing the information received by the input means; and
control means for transmitting the information through the communication means to the external device and requesting the external device to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
output means for outputting information;
acceptance means for accepting an output instruction, including designation information included for the designation of an output device;
detection means for detecting an apparatus that is identified in the designation information;
output control means for permitting the output means to execute the output instruction when the apparatus detected by the detection means is the information processing apparatus, and for transmitting the output instruction to an external device when the apparatus detected by the detection means is other than the information processing apparatus.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
communication means for communicating with an external device;
processing means for processing information;
management means for receiving from the external device through the communication means information to be processed and for managing the information by employing a plurality of management states, including a process pending state and a process wait state; and
control means for permitting the processing means to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
reception means for receiving a process to be performed by another device;
processing means for performing a predetermined process required for the performance of the process received by the reception means; and
output means for outputting the results obtained by the processing means.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
reception means for receiving designation information that identifies a target to be processed;
acquisition means for acquiring the target identified in the designation information received by the reception means;
processing means for performing a process for the target acquired by the acquisition means; and
output means for outputting the results obtained by the processing means.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing apparatus comprising:
reception means for receiving information to be processed;
processing means for processing the information; and
conversion control means for controlling a conversion of the information that is received by the reception means into information, described using a description language, that is to be processed by the processing means.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing method comprising:
a reception step of receiving information to be printed and a first printing parameter;
a determination step of employing the information that is received to determine a second parameter suitable for the information;
a setup step of setting up the first and the second parameters; and
a printing step of printing the information based on the first and the second printing parameters set up at the setup step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a printing method comprising:
a reception step of receiving information to be printed;
an identification step of identifying a user for the information that is received;
a printing step of printing the information;
a printing results storage step of storing printing results in one of a plurality of storage locations; and
a control step of storing printing results at a different location for each user who is identified at the identification step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing. method comprising:
a communication step of communicating with an external device;
an output step of outputting information; and
a control step of requesting information from the external device, of receiving the information from the external device, and of permitting the output device to output the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing method comprising:
a communication step of communicating with an external device;
an input step of receiving information;
a processing step of processing the information received at the input step; and
a control step of transmitting the information to the external device at the communication step and of requesting the external device to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing method comprising:
an output step of outputting information;
an acceptance step of accepting an output instruction, including designation information included for the designation of an output device;
a detection step of detecting an apparatus that is identified in the designation information;
an output control step of permitting the output means to execute the output instruction when the apparatus detected at the detection step is the information processing apparatus, and of transmitting the output instruction to an external device when the apparatus detected at the detection step is other than the information processing apparatus.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing method comprising:
a processing step of processing information;
a management step of receiving information to be processed from the external device through a communication unit for communicating with the external device, and of managing the information by employing a plurality of management states, including a process pending state and a process wait state; and
a control step of permitting the processing means to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing method comprising:
a reception step of receiving a process to be performed by another device;
a processing step of performing a predetermined process required for the performance of the process received at the reception step; and
an output step of outputting the results obtained at the processing step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an information processing method comprising:
a reception step of receiving designation information that identifies a target to be processed;
an acquisition step of acquiring the target identified in the designation information received at the reception step;
a processing step of performing a process for the target acquired at the acquisition step; and
an output step of outputting the results obtained at the processing step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to an. information processing method comprising:
a reception step of receiving information to be processed;
a processing step of processing the information; and
a conversion control step of controlling a conversion of the information that is received at the reception step into information, described using a description language, that is to be processed at the processing step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a reception step of receiving information to be printed and a first printing parameter;
a determination step of employing the information that is received to determine a second parameter suitable for the information;
a setup step of setting up the first and the second parameters; and
a printing step of printing the information based on the first and the second printing parameters set up at the setup step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a reception step of receiving information to be printed;
an identification step of identifying a user for the information that is received;
a printing step of printing the information;
a printing results storage step of storing printing results in one of a plurality of storage locations; and
a control step of storing printing results at a different location for each user who is identified at the identification step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a communication step of communicating with an external device;
an output step of outputting information; and
a control step of requesting information from the external device, of receiving the information from the external device, and of permitting the output device to output the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a communication step of communicating with an external device;
an input step of receiving information;
a processing step of processing the information received at the input step; and
a control step of transmitting the information to the external device at the communication step and of requesting the external device to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
an output step of outputting information;
an acceptance step of accepting an output instruction, including designation information included for the designation of an output device;
a detection step of detecting an apparatus that is identified in the designation information;
an output control step of permitting the output means to execute the output instruction when the apparatus detected at the detection step is the information processing apparatus, and of transmitting the output instruction to an external device when the apparatus detected at the detection step is other than the information processing apparatus.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a processing step of processing information;
a management step of receiving information to be processed from the external device through a communication unit for communicating with the external device, and of managing the information by employing a plurality of management states, including a process pending state and a process wait state; and
a control step of permitting the processing means to process the information.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a reception step of receiving a process to be performed by another device;
a processing step of performing a predetermined process required for the performance of the process received at the reception step; and
an output step of outputting the results obtained at the processing step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a reception step of receiving designation information that identifies a target to be processed;
an acquisition step of acquiring the target identified in the designation information received at the reception step;
a processing step of performing a process for the target acquired at the acquisition step; and
an output step of outputting the results obtained at the processing step.
According to another aspect, the present invention which achieves these objectives relates to a computer-readable storage medium storing a printing program for controlling a computer to perform printing, the program comprising codes for causing the computer to perform:
a reception step of receiving information to be processed;
a processing step of processing the information; and
a conversion control step of controlling a conversion of the information that is received at the reception step into information, described using a description language, that is to be processed at the processing step.
Other objectives and advantages those discussed above shall be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention which follows. In the description, reference is made to accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof, and which illustrate an example of the invention. Such example, however, is not exhaustive of the various embodiments of the invention, and therefore reference is made to the claims which follow the description for determining the scope of the invention.